The Kavanaugh stakes get higher

24 September 2018

NormanL

The media and political feeding frenzy over Judge Brett Kavanaugh continues to grow, with new allegations, renewed, vehement denials, and a growing sense that whatever small amount of sanity was left in the nomination process has vanished.

It is impossible right now to know how it ends. But the politics of the Kavanaugh nomination are getting more uncertain with each new day:

...Kavanaugh does not yet have the votes to be confirmed and several GOP senators are watching his reaction to the allegations closely. Privately, several Republicans said they were alarmed by the new allegations, but it was not yet clear whether the party will abandon Kavanaugh.

The GOP will wait to see the reaction of Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bob Corker of Tennessee to assess whether they can proceed, according to a person familiar with caucus politics.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) predicted Friday his party would "plow right through" on Kavanaugh's confirmation. His office had no immediate comment on Sunday about the latest allegations against Kavanaugh.

Maybe so. It will take more grit than we usually give any politician to resist both a media-driven mob, and an opposition party bent on destroying a nominee.

But we also think whoever "wins" this battle will regret it.

And it's one reason why we increasingly believe it's time for term limits on Supreme Court justices. Lessen their power, lower the political stakes...and end the lordly, anti-republican prospect of lifetime tenure.